Combined blackboard and game-board



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L. s. SMITH. COMBINED BLAGKBOARD AND GAME BOARD.

No. 415,371. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

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L. S. SMITH.

COMBINED BLAGKBOARD AND GAME BOARD.

No. 415.371. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAERTES ITARR SMITH, OF SILVER CITY, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

COMBINED BLACKBOARD AND GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 415,371, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed May 22, 1889. Serial No. 311,680- (No model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAERTES STARR SMITH, of Silver City, in the county of Grant and Territory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Blackboards and Game-Boards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in combined blackboards and game-boards.

The object is to provide an inexpensive article alike useful for amusement or instruction, which may be opened or closed, taken apart, if desired, or capable of being used by several persons at the same time, either in playing games, writing, drawing, or studying, or all at once.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of device having four boards orleaves. Fig. :2 is a similar view of one having three boards or leaves. Fig. 3 shows the device closed. Fig. 4 is a device having but two blackboards or leaves. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a device having one board or leaf. Fig. 6 shows one of the slide-boards detached. Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of a'device having four boards or leaves with the same number of copy-cards attached. Fig. 8 is a similar view of one having two boards or leaves and a corresponding number of copycards attached. Fig. 9 is a View of one having three boards and three copy-cards attached. Fig. 10 is a similar view of a device having only one board and one copy-card attached. Fig. 11 is a detached view of a portion of the device and shows the grooves in which the slides are placed; and Figs. 12, 13, and 1a are other modifications.

A represents a box or frame. It may be either square or rectangular in shape. About fifteen inches square, or fourteen by sixteen inches by about four inches in height, are desirable sizes. Thebox is finished with grooves 1 1 in its sides, which receive and serve as guides for the slides 2 2,in which the may be moved in or out, as the case may require. The slides are preferably two in number and located in opposite ends of the box, so that they entirely close the ends of the box, as shown in Fig. 3, when pushed in. They may have knobs 01' other suitable devices at their outer ends, by which they are slid conveniently back and forth. These slides may be taken out and used independently of the box and they may be made to serve different purposesas, for example, they may be constructed so as to be either a blackboard or a game-board on one or both sides, or they mayone or both of thembe made a blackboard on one side and a gameboard on the other. Of course the use to which they are put will be within the control of the the manufacturer, and they might be used for checkers, backgammon, or similar games merely by a slight change in the covering or finish. Beneath the slides a drawer 3 may be placedtol1oldanything,suchascl1eckers,cards, drawing utensils, or similar articles. This is furnished with a knob or handle whereby it is easily pushed in or drawn out. Besides the parts already described, and particularly the slides, there are hinged boards or leaves 5 5 in the sides, and one is adapted to fold over the other, so that when folded together and the slides and drawer are pushed in the box is closed. These boards or leaves may also serve as blackboards or any gameboard, or one or both, as in case of the slides as already described, according to the taste or pleasure of the manufacturer.

The device may be placed on a table and be operated upon by as many as four persons at one time; or the slides may be removed and held in the lap as a slate.

In Figs. 2, 4, and 5 allied forms are shown, but in these instead of their being four boards there are three, two, and one used, respectively, and in the latter the one board is hinged and a game-board 6 is formed over the box.

In Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 the devices are precisely the same as the four forms just de scribed, except that these are provided with copy-cards 7 '7. When in use, these cards are held in place by the forked pins 8 8, which latter are inserted in holes provided for them in the edge of the boxes. The copy-cards may be made of thick paper, cardboard, or

any material adapted to the purpose, and of any size desired. About twelve by fifteen inches is a desirable size, and may have on one or both sides, preferably both sides, any desirable matter-such as letters, figures,

maps, tables, pictures, sketches, drawings, statistics, useful information, puzzles, advertisements, &c.which may be done in any preferred manner or process, such as printing, 1o painting, engraving, lithography, &c. The .cards may have either a small hole or a hook at a point near the center at the top of the card for the purpose of hanging them on the forked pins. The posts or pins may be made I 5' of wire, with a fork at one end. If preferred, the boards or leaves may be hinged to the box or frame by means of cloth or leather, as lids are frequently hinged to cigar-boxes. If desired, four boards can be hinged to one box or frame.

In Figs. 12, 3:3, and 1-1 slightly-modified forms ,are shown. In these the box A is closed and the boards are hinged to the lower edges. Then folded up, they are fastened by hooks 2 5 or buttons. The display-cards are held on hooks 9 9. The feet 10 10, as shown in Fig. 12, are pivoted to the box to furnish a suitablebase to prevent the box from tipping easily. These feet are generally only employed when two boards are used.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described, as more slides might be employed, or other modifications made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction herein set forth. Any material may be used in the construction of the above, or 40 any part or parts of the device desired. The

drawer may be omitted in some cases, if preferred.

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 5 Patent, is

1. A box having hinged boards and slideboards, the latter when drawn out from the box resting clear of the hinged boards, so that a surface of all the boards when opened out will be wholly exposed.

2. A box, forked pins or posts adapt-ed to be held in one or more of its edges, and copycards hung on said pins or posts, substantially as set forth.

3. A box having copy-cards supported on the edges of the latter, and hinged and slide boards connected with the box, substantially as set forth.

4. A box having grooves thereon, removable slides adapted to be guided by the grooves, and boards hinged to the box and adapted to close one over the other when the box is closed, substantially as set forth.

5. A box having grooves'therein and sockets in its edges, removable slides, hinged boards, removable pins or posts, and copycards suspended on the pins, substantially as set forth. 1

G. A box having slides, hinged boards, and drawer, the surface of said slides and boards finished so as to be blackboards'and gameboards, removable forked pin s, and copy-cards thereon, substantially as set forth.

7. A box or frame having grooves therein and holes in its edges, two removable slides,

and two boards or leaves hinged to the edges of the box or frame, adapted to fold one over the other, with four forked pins or posts and copy-cards adapted to be aflixed on such pins, and a drawerbeneath such leaves and slides, all substantially as described and set forth.

8. A box or frame having holesin its edges, one or more boards or leaves hinged to the box or frame, and forked pins and copy-cards, substantially as set forth.

9. A box or frame having 'the necessary grooves and holes in its edges, one or more hinged boards or leaves, one or more slid es, the forked pins and copy-cards, and a drawer, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

L. STARR SBrIITH.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES M. HEIKEs, FRED GUsosKEY. 

